1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to protective cases and covers for various articles and equipment, and more specifically to a rigid, hard shell case for protecting a fishing rod and reel in its assembled state. The present rod and reel case encloses both the rod and reel with the reel installed upon the rod, thereby precluding any requirement for disassembly of the rod and reel assembly before storage in the case. A shorter second embodiment provides for storage of a disassembled rod, but with the reel still remaining installed upon the rod.
2. Description of Related Art
The sport of fishing has enjoyed increasing popularity with increasing leisure time available to many. While many persons fish for food, others enjoy the sport and challenge, returning their catches to the water after the catch. While the ultimate purpose of the hobby may vary among different anglers, it is universally true that well cared for tackle is critical for best performance.
However, the environment in which fishing tackle is used, is generally hard on equipment. Obviously, fishing equipment is subject to water and moisture, but there are other factors which affect the equipment as well. Fishing equipment is generally placed or stored in the bottom of a boat, pickup truck bed, or other low point in a vehicle, where dirt, dust, and other contaminants generally reside. Yet, many fishing tackle components are relatively delicate, or at least have certain delicate components, which require at least a certain amount of care and attention. Fishing reels are an obvious example of such delicate equipment, but even certain fishing rods, with their closely mating threaded assemblies and reel attachments, are subject to damage by dirt and moisture contamination.
While most fishing rod and reel assemblies are constructed to permit disassembly, this disassembly is often tedious and time consuming. For the angler who fishes frequently, such assembly and disassembly of his or her equipment eats up valuable time which could otherwise be spent directly on fishing. The frequent assembly and disassembly of the various components of the fishing tackle, also increases wear and tear on the tackle, leading to further problems and need for repair. Accordingly, many anglers find it desirable to keep their fishing equipment in an assembled state, but an assembled rod and reel present a relatively fragile assembly, which is prone to damage if left exposed in the bottom of a boat, pickup truck, or similar relatively harsh environment.
Accordingly, a need will be seen for a rigid, hard protective case for the storage and protection of an assembled fishing rod and reel. The present protective case may be configured to hold an assembled rod therein, with its reel remaining attached to the rod, or may be provided in a shorter length for the storage of a xe2x80x9cbroken downxe2x80x9d rod, in which the rod has been disassembled into two or more shorter lengths. In either embodiment, the reel remains attached to the rod, thereby greatly reducing the time otherwise required for rethreading the fishing line through the rod ferrules and other tedious tasks normally required when a fishing reel is separated from its rod.
A discussion of the related art of which the present inventor is aware, and its differences and distinctions from the present invention, is provided below.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,723,482 issued on Nov. 15, 1955 to Ben G. Martin, titled xe2x80x9cRod And Reel Protector,xe2x80x9d describes a cover for a fishing rod and reel assembly. The Martin protector is not a rigid case, but is merely a flexible cover formed of a pliable, flexible material such as fabric, leather, or a flexible plastic sheet material of some sort. As such, the Martin protector cannot provide protection to the equipment from impact and/or other physical damage, as can the present rigid, hard shell rod and reel case. As the Martin cover is not formed of rigid materials, it does not include many of the features of the present rigid case, such as telescoping components, a hinged reel cover, etc.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,726,141 issued on Feb. 23, 1988 to Charlie J. McBride et al., titled xe2x80x9cFishing Rod And Reel Carrying Case,xe2x80x9d describes a reel cover formed of a pliable, flexible material (fabric, plastic, leather, etc.). As such, the device does not actually comprise a case, as it does not provide any rigid protective shell for the equipment stored therein. Moreover, the McBride et al. cover does not cover any significant portion of the fishing rod, but is relatively short and covers only the butt or handle portion of the rod and its attached reel. The remainder of the rod extends outwardly beyond the opening in the pouch or cover. In contrast, the present fishing rod and reel case provides rigid protection for the entire assembled rod and reel contained therein.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,005,743 issued on Apr. 9, 1991 to Richard P. Ramsay, titled xe2x80x9cTelescopic Carrying Case,xe2x80x9d describes a rigid, elongate case for the carriage of relatively thin, elongate articles such as skis, ski poles and fishing rods. It would appear that if the Ramsay case is sufficiently long for the carriage of skis therein, that it would also suffice for the carriage of assembled fishing rods therein as well. However, Ramsay does not provide any wider area in his case, for the enclosure of a fishing reel therein for the reel to remain attached to the rod. Rather, the reel would have to be removed from the rod in order to place the rod into the Ramsay case, which still leaves the problem of storage for the reel after time has been taken to remove the fishing line from the rod. The present invention obviates these problems, by providing room for the rod and its attached reel.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,341,590 issued on Aug. 30, 1994 to Allen Hepworth et al., titled xe2x80x9cCarrying Case For Fly Fishing Rod And Reel,xe2x80x9d describes a case formed of a rigid plastic shell with an end opening. None of the components telescope or slide longitudinally relative to one another, as in the assembly of the rod carrying portion of the present rod and reel case. The present case may be adapted for the carriage of a fly fishing rod and reel assembly, or other assembly where the reel is located relatively close to the butt end of the rod. However, the present case is more particularly adapted for the carriage of other types of rod and reel assemblies, where the reel is most often secured to the rod at some distance from the butt toward the tip of the rod. The present rod and reel case provides for this by means of its various telescoping and sliding components, and the xe2x80x9cclamshellxe2x80x9d arrangement of its reel closure around the rod portion of the case, with the rod portion of the case extending in each direction therebeyond.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,515,641 issued on May 14, 1996 to David A. D""Alessandro, titled xe2x80x9cTangle-Avoiding, Quick-Use, Fishing Pole Sheath,xe2x80x9d describes a pole cover that extends only from the tip of the pole to the forward end of the reel, where it secures to the reel by means of an elastic strap. The D""Alessandro cover is formed of a pliable, flexible material (fabric, vinyl plastic, etc.), rather than being formed of a rigid material, as in the case of the present rod and reel cover. The D""Alessandro cover is more closely related to the cover of the Marten ""482 U.S. patent, discussed further above, than to the present rod and reel case.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,956,885 issued on Sep. 28, 1999 to Michael L. Zirbes, titled xe2x80x9cFishing Reel Cover,xe2x80x9d describes a cover formed of a flexible, pliable material (fabric, vinyl, leather, etc.) for covering only the reel installed on a fishing rod. While Zirbes describes his reel cover as being of xe2x80x9cclamshellxe2x80x9d configuration, the relatively soft and pliable nature of the materials used cannot provide the rigid closure conventionally considered to be a part of a xe2x80x9cclamshellxe2x80x9d structure, as provided by the present invention with its laterally opening clamshell reel cover. Moreover, Zirbes does not disclose any form of cover for the rest of the fishing rod assembly, whereas the present case encloses the complete assembled fishing rod and reel.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,957,284 issued on Sep. 28, 1999 to Douglass E. Caddell et al., titled xe2x80x9cFloating, Transparent Protective Covering For A Fishing Rod,xe2x80x9d describes a rigid cover having a length only sufficient to cover the rod tip. The Caddell et al. cover does not extend to cover even the majority of the rod length, and stops far short of the reel. The only closure provided is a longitudinally split plug, which fits around the rod and inserts into the otherwise open end of the cover. No clamshell or other covering for the reel or telescoping or sliding rod case is disclosed by Caddell et al. in the ""284 U.S. patent. Other than the difference between the rigid and flexible materials used, the Caddell et al. cover more closely resembles the cover of the ""641 U.S. patent to D""Alessandro, than it does the present rod and reel cover invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,960,950 issued on Oct. 5, 1999 to Paul K. Meeker, titled xe2x80x9cFishing Rod And Reel Assembly Carrying Case,xe2x80x9d describes a case formed to have a rigid plastic shell, for enclosing an assembled rod and reel. The Meeker case opens in a different manner than that of the present protective case, however, with the Meeker case being hinged along one side or edge thereof to open and close as two lateral halves. Moreover, the Meeker case is relatively bulky, and includes a pair of tackle boxes therein. In contrast, the present rod and reel case is considerably thinner, providing sufficient interior volume only for the rod and its attached reel. The opening of the present case is considerably different than the Meeker case, with the present case including at least one sliding or telescoping portion over the butt of the reel, with a separate laterally opening clamshell cover for the reel. Moreover, Meeker does not disclose any form of shoulder carrying strap, as provided in the present fishing rod and reel case invention.
U.S. Pat. No. D-321,281 issued on Nov. 5, 1991 to Dennis Cooper, titled xe2x80x9cFly Rod Case,xe2x80x9d illustrates a design having a generally cylindrical reel enclosure at its butt end, with the reel enclosure being split into two semicylindrical halves and hinged together for closure over the reel. The Cooper case thus more closely resembles the fly rod case of the Hepworth et al. ""590 U.S. patent, than it does the present fishing rod and reel case invention.
U.S. Pat. No. D-355,071 issued on Feb. 7, 1995 to Ronald B. Stull, titled xe2x80x9cCompartmentalized Fishing Pole And Accessory Carrier,xe2x80x9d illustrates a design comprising a box-like structure having two halves, hinged together along one edge. Each half has a pair of complementary longitudinal channels therein, which form passages for securing about the disassembled components of a fishing rod when closed therearound. The Stull design appears to be suited only for holding the disassembled components together, and does nothing to protect the components from damage or contamination, as does the present rod and reel case invention.
U.S. Pat. No. D-395,360 issued on Jun. 13, 1998 to William L. Schrader, Jr., titled xe2x80x9cFishing Rod Case,xe2x80x9d illustrates a design obviously formed of a flexible material and having a zipper closure. The Schrader, Jr. cover is relatively thin, and cannot provide room for a fishing reel therein. The Schrader, Jr. cover more closely resembles the cover of the Marten ""482 U.S. patent, than it does the present rod and reel case invention.
Finally, U.S. Pat. No. D-402,807 issued on Dec. 22, 1998 to Thomas E. Brown, titled xe2x80x9cProtective Cover For Fishing Rod Tip,xe2x80x9d illustrates a design resembling a shortened, tip portion of the fishing rod covers of the D""Alessandro ""641 Utility patent or the Schrader, Jr. ""360 Design patent, both discussed above. No rigid enclosure for the entire rod and reel assembly is apparent in the Brown ""807 Design patent.
None of the above inventions and patents, either singly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed.
A hard protective case or shell provides protection for an assembled, or semi-assembled, fishing rod and reel. The present case is preferably formed of a hard plastic material, and comprises several sections which fit around various portions of the rod and reel assembly. The rod forward end enclosure is formed as a unitary component having a generally triangular cross section in order to fit about the rod and its fishing line guides extending therefrom. The tip of the rod end enclosure is closed. This component may alternatively be formed in two telescoping portions, to adjust for the rod length or to enclose a disassembled rod.
The central area of the cover is cut away to provide clearance for the attached reel on the rod. A separate, laterally hinged reel cover is provided, which closes laterally about the reel and the central portion of the rod case. Alternatively, or in addition to the hard reel case, a flexible reel cover having an elastic closure may be provided to secure about the reel. The flexible reel cover provides excellent temporary protection for the reel, when it is not desired to assemble the rod cover about the rod in order to provide anchorage for the rigid reel cover.
The butt end of the rod is protected by a sliding or telescoping case portion having a similar cross section to the forward rod end case. The rod is inserted in the front end case, the butt end cover is slid over the open medial area of the front case, and the reel case is hinged closed over the central portion of the rod cover and the reel assembled to the rod.
Accordingly, it is a principal object of the invention to provide a hard protective case for an assembled fishing rod and reel, protecting the rod and reel assembly from moisture, dirt, and/or other contaminants.
It is another object of the invention to provide a case for a fishing rod and reel, comprising at least a forward tubular rod cover portion having clearance for a fishing reel attached to the rod, a rearward tubular rod cover portion, and a laterally hinged reel cover fitting removably over the reel clearance portion of the forward rod cover and over the reel.
It is a further object of the invention to provide an alternative embodiment rod and reel case, having a telescoping forward rod end cover for accommodating fishing rods having different lengths and/or rods which have been at least partially disassembled.
Still another object of the invention is to provide means for holding and/or carrying the rod and reel case, comprising a hand carriage strap, a shoulder carriage strap, and/or clip attachments for securing to another structure.
It is an object of the invention to provide improved elements and arrangements thereof in an apparatus for the purposes described which is inexpensive, dependable and fully effective in accomplishing its intended purposes.
These and other objects of the present invention will become readily apparent upon further review of the following specification and drawings.